A torrent
downloads website has started offering visitors the option to enable a
cryptocurrency mining feature and earn incentives for the platform, according
to a TorrentFreak report.
The news indicates a possible shift in tactics by torrent websites, after a number of
popular services have been found to have installed hidden cryptocurrency mining
code that harnesses visitors' computer processing power without seeking
permission.
Some, such
as The Pirate Bay, have notably failed to inform site visitors that their CPU
was being used by the miner, a strategy that led domain supplier Cloudflare to
classify the undisclosed process as "malware" and remove the domains
of torrent site ProxyBunker for also hosting mining code.
TorrentFreakadded that the unnamed "private tracker," an invite-only torrent
site, has not only made this feature optional, but it also incentivizes members
to let their CPUs be used for cryptocurrency mining by offering "upload
credit" in return.
A resource
that members require in order to download content, upload credit must usually
either be purchased or generated from – as the name suggests – uploading new
content. The new system allows visitors to mine monero and then trade it in for
the credits.
The tech
news source further cites an increasing number of torrent websites now using
more transparent models that allow visitors both a choice in the cryptocurrency
mined and a way to track the process.
Source: Coindesk
Source: Coindesk
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